MALACANAN PALACE ",,",LA Time and again I have acknowledged the Invaluable contribuhOn ofour overseas Filipinos to national development and nation build Lng They have shared their skills and expertise to enable the Philippines to benefit from advances in sCience and technology RemiUing more than $70 billion in the last ten years, they have contributed Slgnlficanlly to our counlry's economic stability and social progress of our people. Overseas Filipinos have also shown that they are dependable partners, providl!'lQ additional resources to augment programs in health, educatIOn, livelihood projects and small infrastructure in the country, We pay tnbute to Filipinos overseas who have dedicated themselves to uplifting the human condiloOn, those who have advocated the cause of Filipinos worldwide, and who continue to bring pride and honor to lhe Philippines by their pursuit of excellence I ask the rest of the FilipinO nation to Join me in congratulating the 2006 PreSldenllalAwardees who have shown lhe best of the Fil,plno. I also extend my thanks to the men and women of the CommiSSion on Filipinos Overseas and the vanous Awards commillees for a job well done in thiS biennial search. Mabuhay kayong lahalr Mantia. 7 Decemoor 2006 , Office of Itle Pres,dent of !he Ph''PP'nes COMMISSION ON FILIPINOS OVERSEAS Today, some 185 million men, women and even children, represent,rog about 3 percent of the world's population, live Ofwork outside their country of origin. No reg,on in the world is WIthout migrants who live or work within its borders Every country is now an origin ordeslination for international migration. The Philippines is very much a part of this phenomenon. Appro~imately seven to eight million Filipinos are helping governments, industries or parents in more than a hundred countlles around the World. From our own e~pe"ence In the last four decades. we e~pect to see more and more Filipinos leave to reSide or work in other sociel<es. And in their deslre to achieve and do well, Filip,nos overseas have become effective ambassadors of goodwill. helping to support not only our own economy but that of their host country as wtlil. It is only fittirog thatin this December, the MonthofOverseas Filipinos, we honor 48 Filipino individuals and organizations overseas who have e~celled in thelt work. or dedicated so much of their time and effort ,1'1 the service of thelf fellow men here and abroad We also honor foreign Individuals and organizations to whom we are thankful for having voluntarily shared the" resources for the benefit of less privileged commun,loeS here at home I extend my sincerest congratulations to the recipients of the Year 2006 Prestdential Awards for Filipino IndiViduals and Organizations Overseas. I also congratulate their families and friends who have Inspired and supported them in their efforts to be of service to others. May you continue to inspire oor kabooayan to be globally competent, and continue to exemplify the best of the F,lipino. (/JV'vYo~h.y DANTE A. ANG Chairman Manila, 7 OoC<lmbor 2006 , Ofllee at the President ollhe Philipp,nes COMMISSION ON FILIPINOS OVERSEAS We are very pleased 10 extend our greetings and heartfelt congratulahons to the 2006 recipients of the PreSldenhal Awards for Filipino Individuals and Organizations Overseas, whose exemplary work and achievements have made a diflerence in the lives of Filipinos here and abroad, and continue to bring a sense of pride 10 our country and people, This year's Presidenlial Awards takes place as we commemorate the 100'" year since the 1906 arrivOlI of fifteen lIocano farm workers in Hawaii, probably one of /he mosl important milestone in the migration of Filipinos toother shores The landing In Hawaii started the first wave of sustained migration Ihat also led to the migratKln ot FiliPinos to Other parts 01 the United States. The same courageous spirit that emboldened Filipinos to sail for Hawaii a hundred years ago inspired our countrymen to settle or work in other overseas destinations starting in the 1970s and 1980s Today. there is hardiy any country or territory in the world where Filipinos do not make a contribution out oflhelr talent, Skill or industry. White some ei9ht million Filipinos have gone to liveorwork in many parts of the world, they continue 10 demonstrate a consciousness about their origins Irom a single country, and mamtain an aCllve interest in 1,le and progress at home, II is thiS sense of community that makes possible and relevant Ihe lies that we mainlain Wlth overseas Filipinos, and the honor we give 10 this year's awardees, In congratulating the 2006 Presidential Awardees, we express our truslthill through their eloquent examples, \hey Will continue 10 inSplre ilnd influence others and help bring OUt the best from our counlrymen everywhere Again, our sincerest congralulations, ilnd best wishes for Christmas and the New Year. JOSE Z, MOLANO, JR Executive Director Manil~ 7 December 2006 , The Lingkod sa Kapwa Pilipino (LJNKAPIL) Award is conferred on Filipino associations or individuals for their exceptional or significant contribution to reconstruction, progress and development in the Philippines Awardees Gloria Ysmael Adams United States of America Association Lending Assistance in Exigencies at Home, gem e.V. Germany Stella S. Evangelista, M.D. United States of America FEU· Dr. Nicanor Reyes School of Medicine Alumni Foundation United States of America Society of Philippine Surgeons in America United States of America Honesto R. Tria United States of America C!flon~1 o!hmaf'/ Dr/clam; Umted States otAmeriea Educatlo" has always bee" vIewed as an ave"ue to a beUer life Untortunately lor many Fil,pino schoolchildren Ul Illal amas and the counlrys<de P<bIic education IS characterized by i»adequate sd>OOI facoht>l!s. lack 01 matenals and texlbOO1<s. lOW level of lechnology and the like - which could nOI provOde a good fO\.Wldalion fOO' equalizmg oppo!1ooi1ieS in the Mure Thar>ks [(I GlOM Ysmael M~,~<:J$I<sI:W~';\Q."~~~~~\IJ!,im9~()(\tl\elo,,,~,>o\ Fil,p;no schoolchildre" in some 01 the poorest areas in theoountry. MS. Adams who is a nat<ve of Cuyapo. Nueva EClla. has WOfl<e<!as a teacher. a SChOOl counselor, anda K:1'IOOI administrator i"bOlh publ.,; and private schools In the Ph,l,pp,nes and ,n US. I" 1969. she be<:ame the first ~ plno American counselor ,n Seattle. Washington. Detelm,ned to make a dllterellC(! in her profession. sheco­ 1;lUnOOO 'he FlliplnoAmencan EXchange Educalors Program (FAME) In 1989 Through FAME. she has helped in ....promol00n of FII'fl!-no cutture and hentage by Jacilltatlng lhe exchange IriSltS of Filipino AmerICa" educat(lrS to _ Pfiffipp;MS As head counselol of lIle Meany Middle SChOOl In Seattle. Ms Adams organ'zed alld coord,nated ;II h'gtl~ successful te"·year Poor Tutoring Plogram alld er1sured the prom01lon of various cultures In this mutt<· _ oc""" AmOdst her expeneoce 'Mth more advanced edl.lCabOnal ir>s!ItUloons abroad. Ms. Adams' noble deSIre 10 help promote educational progress In lhe Phihpplnes grew alilhe more. In 1997, she established an OIgan,zalion 1I'I3.t 8SS'sls schools and commOOlty·based grassrools programs In Cuyapo, Nl.leva Ecija, ana named ~ ttle Bllr1<>1ome R. Ysmael Fooodalion. in hOnOr of her lather. SInce then, MS Adams haS adopted several SChools and ~rangays of Cuyapo thlough edl.lCational ass,stance and livelihood grants Thlough hel foundatIon, several schools in Cuyapo, Nueva EClja have receive<! donations oj books, computenl. encyclopedias, and other Instrl.lCtlonal matenals, as well as musicallnstrumeots and allocatIOns for schOOl beaut,ficat"'" and m,nor COtlstrUCI,ons. Her many school projects Include the conslruClion of Oay Care centers jn Barangay Mahneog, Cuyapo. Nueva EClja; the constllJCljon oj an ecology garden, minI par1< and water tac,I~les i"Cuyapo NatIonal High SChool; conslructoon of a school stage i" Latap Elementary SChool; OOlldlng 01 a SCleflCe and Mathematics garden at the Cuyapo Elemeotary School: and donatIon oj computer and school band tqI.IIpfOOOt to the Cuyapo NatIonal H,gh SChool and selected elementary schools, Ms Adams also jn;t;ated jC/l()larst'Wps and cash grants for OU!Sland>r>g teachers and students oj Cuyapo. An amount of $60000 a year 's being goven as an incentIve for Cuyapo oUlstanding teachers, Four-year tu,toon grants, on lIle other hand, were awarded to four students under the Furure Teachers 01 Cuyapo Program. There IS also a yearly cash gra"l for f,tSt honof graa..ates, and a complehon cash reward fo, outstanding 6~ graderS, a program She started thIS year WhetMr It is thrOUgtl her SChOlarshIp and teache' development programs, oonation oj school facilrties :x.odlrlg improvement, donalion of sports eqUIpment or Itlrary matenals. Ms, Adams has been help<ng schoolct',jjdren of Cuyapo by develo~ng the;r appehte for learnmg and the sense t~ improve tOOIf I""es througtl educall(ln Aside from her educallonai assistance programs Ms. Adams has also extended financ'al assostance to fll:N:Kly bilrangays. and caused the constnxllon of a Retlfed TeaChers Multi-Purpose Center in Cuyapo IIlrough a OJOO.OOO,OO donaOOll. The total dooation shated by the donor ItlroUftl her venous projects Jrom 2000-200& alOOl.f"lted to P5 million In confemng lIle LmgI<od sa Kapwa Filipino Award to Gloria Ysmael Adams, the P,es<dent recognozllS'" ex~ryworkto help improve the livesol herCOUnlrymen IIlrougtl the promotooo of Improved and bener eo - • -II1II opportunoHes in her nallve hometown. " Cr.:-ko<:ialioJt ':leJuliJtfj c;:[/&dancc 01 'ifujeIlC(J) at cY~me~!Jon e. -''j( GemUlny The 1960s up 10 the early 1990s witnessed the unprecedenled Increase in the number of F~lpno and F~""no-Gemtan associa!lOns ,n Gennany Whole most oltllese early assocaa~ons were organized to brin9t09f!l/ler Flllp,nos during tooir annual social galoorngs, a group 01 civ~-minded Flhpinos soughllo direct the~ efforts and financ,a1 gains for a better purpose Thus was born theAssodallon LendIng Assistance ,n EXIgencies at Ho;rne.